The Box

I can't get over this March weather? Are we still living in Minnesota?

Yesterday highs crept up to 78 degrees. This warm summer like temperatures were welcomed with open arms!

Harrison was excited to play in his sand box for the first time this year. Words can't do justice for the fun it was for me to watch him---his imagination soars.

Most of these next photos are candid which makes them all the better. I probably should have made a collage, but I was too lazy---so keep scrolling!

Enjoy.

 Smiles like this are so real, so sweet.

 Love this blonde! It was wacky hair day at daycare.

 Even Whitney Dog loves the sand box.

 A close up of the brownness of spring and our beautiful Springer.

Linked 52: Vegetables

So...I may have cheated a bit on this week's post :)

OK, so this really isn't a vegetable...but perhaps this adorable collage will help you over see that part!

   Ingredients:

• plastic tote
• flying corn
• potato masher
• pumpkin scoop
• smiles
• hammer
• whisk
• spatula
• spoon
• giggles
• strainer
• thongs
• cup

The aftermath clean up kept us busy...


Each week it's a different challenge: Check out who elese is participating in Linked 52- Stacey, Michelle, Heather, Tracey, Andrea, Jenn, Jessica, Amanda, Kristin, Sara, Tracy, Lesli, Janet, Naomi, Rhonda, Rose, Carla, Lena, Heidi, Veronica, Amy, Liza, Heather, & Jean.

Life Is A Highway...

I am so in love with these next few photos I took last weekend. Harrison begged me to get out the "car" so that he could "drive." This is the most action this console has seen in years. It was one of those gifts for the x-box that my husband just had to have and now collects dust in the basement.

Well anyhow, I  am sure glad someone else found this appealing again.

 I adore him wearing nothing but a long tee. We are in the midst of potty training... (and we are nearly complete---yeah for not even being 2.5 yet) :)

 These cheeks get me every time.

Pinterest Post: Painting with shaving cream

 Painting with shaving cream...do you love this idea as much as I do?

I got this idea off a Pinterest link to make Easter eggs, but this paint can also double as bath tub paint. We also tried Bacon & Eggs in a toast cup, Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks, Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies, Rice Krispie Cupcakes, Healthy oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip snack bars & Baked Corn Dog Nuggets in the past couple of weeks. The mozzarella sticks were amazing and the corn dog nuggets turned out pretty good. On the dessert side the Oatmeal peanut butter bars were ok, the Rice Krispie cupcakes were pretty yummy, but after the frosting dried, they weren't half as yummy. The biggest disappointment came from the Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies, absolutely nothing more than a chocolate chip cookie, not that there is anything wrong with chocolate chip cookies, but I was expecting something more...apparently I had my hopes set to high. I am hoping to pin more real food and less of that yummy chocolate stuff! I'll keep you posted if I run into anymore winners!

Now on to painting!

Challenging Myself

There is sometimes in life that we all need to challenge ourselves...For me, aside from the challenges of parenting a two year old, I challenge myself with photos.

Last August I probably had my greatest challenge ever, photographing Harrison by a stream fishing. He was 21 months at the time.

I asked my dad to make me a home made fishing rod and headed to my home town of Stockton to a park called the Arches or as we local people call it, "Farmer's Park."

As a result I ended up with this shot, quite possibly the best shot I have ever taken.

I posted this photo back in August, but I am posting it again because I entered it in a photography contest at our hospital. The hospital is re-doing patient rooms and are looking for local pictures with some scenery, something calming. I am even more excited, because they are looking for a photo for the pediatrics area!

This is the first contest I have entered in more than a year. I usually think entering photography contests are a waste of time, but I thought I might as well give it a whirl and see what happens. And this post gives me another excuse to say, "I miss summer."

Aside my this week's linked 52 post I will most likely be MIA. I have a bunch of photo sessions coming up and a small wedding ceremony to finish editing aside from pulling somethings together for the March of Dimes Walk, being a mom and working my full time job, it's going to get a little crazy! So, I'll see ya, when I see ya!

But, I will leave you with this expression from tonight's shaving cream painting. We had a blast! I will post more photos when I get there, so this tease will have to do for now.

ten little piggies

A bit of everyday happiness:



Avoiding nap time...

So it's one of those days that nothing seems like it has gone right...

To rewind and relax this evening, I decided to sit down on the couch and veg out after a girl's night out grocery shopping only to find nothing on t.v., not even "House Hunters" on HGTV, which is almost ALWAYS on. I flipped to TLC, nothing worth watching so a blog entry is what you get.


Nap time was so interrupted by having to pick Whitney Dog up at the groomers today. I was sure this kid could hold out long enough while I showered and threw my sweats on to pick her up...Nope, he was out cold when I stepped out of the shower. I had to wake him to get dressed (we are naked potty training with the exception of a long tee). It was a quick trip to the groomers, we only live a few miles away, so I thought I could plop him right back down when we got home. This was obviously not the case. I read him a story, that didn't work...I told him I would be right back---30 minutes later he came walking down the stairs. So off to his bedroom we went together....after an hour of flip flopping and I said to him..."OK, do you want to try to take a nap or take photos?" (both which he equally dislikes). He shot up in his little bed and headed to the studio. No way has this EVER, EVER, EVER happened.

He was an angel! He did almost everything I asked him to do (like he read this morning's linked 52 post or something). I only wish I would have had more prepared or set-up, but every time I do that all, it back fires!

I can not WAIT for summer...I am beginning to think I mention that in every single post...but for a studio session, this will do!

I have plenty more practice shots lately that I need to edit. I got this new wood floor drop last weekend and a minty green back drop that I needed to see how each photographs for upcoming client sessions.

He had a ton of enthusiasm during this little take...but the sucker helped him focus on camera and he even shared a few licks with me.

A nap wasn't accomplished, but showing off this 2012 team Baby Harrison tee was.

FYI: He went to bed at 7:15 tonight.

Linked 52: Spirit

This week's linked 52 post was a piece of cake...no need for props, bribery, or pleads from mommy to look at the camera and smile.  I am pretty sure I probably have the hardest two year old ever when it comes to taking photos, however I am sure my friend/photographer Jenna would disagree with me saying hers is harder.

Apparently I like to challenge myself on a daily basis with Harrison. If I am able to photograph my own son, I can photograph anyone I have determined.

Over the past weekend we spent a couple days at an indoor water park, which isn't exactly camera friendly, but at a moment I lugged the camera out (which I refer to as a weight) I caught this moment which captures the "spirit" of happiness.

This has to be one of my favorite photos of my two boys of all time.

Check out the other photographers participating in Linked 52: Stacey, Michelle, Heather, Tracey, Andrea, Jenn, Jessica, Amanda, Kristin, Sara, Tracy, Lesli, Janet, Naomi, Rhonda, Rose, Carla, Lena, Heidi, Veronica, Amy, Liza, & Heather

27 Months (yesterday)

Our little boy is well on his way to 2.5 years old in just a couple of months. I have mixed feelings about all this growing up stuff... Tonight he walked around the house in the cutest Mickey Mouse underwear you have ever seen. Underwear! I swear this is not my kid---there is no way I have a kid old enough to start potty training.

I have a friend who has a little boy that is also going through potty training right now too....today she sent me a text that her little boy woke himself from his nap to go poop and she added, "only you would understand this excitement as much as I do." This is so true---I honestly think this is one of the greatest excitements I have in life...Oh how you can totally tell I am a mom. Over our mini vacation I had to change my FB status update that read, "Harrison pooped on the potty, vacation success."

Obviously this whole potty training thing won't be completely smooth. He is still having accidents at home (maybe 1-2 per day). He doesn't verbalize when he has to go pee (only poop). At home we let him run around in his underwear and freely let him go on his potty as he desires (sometimes he asks to go on the BIG potty). Sometimes he is OK with us asking him to use the potty other times, he gets mad when you ask him. Daycare is another story---potty training is not happening there. He will sit for them, but that is far as it gets. Honestly I think if he didn't go back to daycare after his 6 days at home, he would already been potty trained. Being at home makes a HUGE difference. I am hoping our 3 day weekend with kick start him back into full potty training mode.

I've probably already talked too much about potty training...but hey, that is the news at the Kelley household.

I finally decided that I will end monthly blog updates (like this one) when Harrison turns 36 months (I just hate saying 3, it sounds so old). There will be plenty of blog entries, but probably not focusing so much on the monthly changes.

This month:

Favorite Food: Cheese
Favorite TV Show: Mickey Mouse Club House & Chuggington
Favorite Animal: Sheep
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Toy: (Old) Digital Camera (and no, I am not making this one up)
Favorite Game: Elefun and Elmo Letters on the I-Pad
Favorite Phases/Saying: "What's that?" "A bite" and "No more monkey's jumping on the bed."
Favorite new word: Sully (that's one of our cats)
Favorite Books: Llama, Llama Books (the author really needs to write more) and "The Little Blue Truck."
Favorite Song (to sing): "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "ABCs"
Favorite Number: 2
Favorite weight: 25 lbs (he has been at that number for 4 months now)
Favorite Holiday: Christmas (he still asks where Santa is on a daily basis, apparently Santa left a lasting impression. I hope the Easter Bunny can shake the Santa thing).
Favorite helpful thing to do: washing things
Favorite habit: still using a plug (pacifier) and home and carrying around his "key, key," blanket everywhere---we have a Linus on our hands
Favorite time to wake up: 6:40 am on the dot
Favorite new skill: blowing bubbles in milk
Favorite thing to do with daddy: Count trucks and buses driving in the car
Favorite thing to do with mommy: bake (and have "A bite")
Favorite naughty thing to do: running away when asked to do something
Favorite thing not to do: sleep through the night
Favorite new trick for mommy and daddy: Reverse psychology
Favorite memory of the month: Mini vacation to Great Wolf Lodge


I think I could probably create a whole blog for the changes that occurred this month. It's been a roller coaster of potty training, an explosion and imitation of words, a whole lotta love and lots and lots of tickles. I seriously need to get his tickling on video---it's SO adorable, but then again what doesn't he do that isn't adorable?

I snapped these during bath time tonight for this post. Bath time has to be my FAVORITE time to photograph him.

Bubbles. Splashing. Smiles.

 Amazement with bubbles.

 No...he didn't cut himself shaving, it's a battle wound from daycare.

 He loves these lotion smiley faces after bath time.

Great Wolf Lodge (Wisconsin Dells)

I can't believe how much of difference it makes going from one to two years old. I am trying to put together in words just how awesome this last weekend was together as a playmate, mother and family of three.

Honestly I look at this kid some days and say, "Wow is this really my kid? He is so huge." I love his eagerness to try new things...and can't say enough about his temper and behavior in public. We can FINALLY go out to dinner again and not worry about him making a scene (well as often anymore) . He is getting to be such a good listener and honestly I love when other kids misbehave and cry around him, this is only because he looks at them with curiosity and then he glances at me for a little praise of "goodness," seeing that he is behaving. Damn I just love, love, love this little boy!

Over the weekend we spent the weekend at the Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells with the Raadt family who are co-workers and friends of ours. They have an adorable little boy Micah who has the longest curly eye lashes you have ever seen! Micah just turned one in January.

We stayed Friday and Saturday night and got home later on Sunday. For me...I turned the weekend vacation into a 5 day vacation from work. Doug took off Monday, so he had 4 weekend, but all in all Harrison beat us both in taking 6 days off of daycare.

I didn't realize how many photos I took on our weekend stay, but it was FAR, FAR more than I anticipated, imagine that. :)

Here are some photos from recapping our mini vacation. As for a BIG vacation, we are thinking of taking Harrison on his first cruise ship in a few months. But, I would love to buy a boat, so do we save up to buy that? Doug grew up on a lake and I grew up spending the summers at my grandparents home right on the river. We both have so many good memories of growing up with water, we would love to have Harrison experience a piece of us. I am SO indecisive about things sometimes... I am sure this is one of the many things and I am Doug loves about me.

Now, enough words---here are some (or a lot) of peeks from the weekend.

Yep, this kid still loves to taste water.

Splashing with Daddy

He went down these slides all by himself!

We added a little Mickey Mouse :)

Apparently someone had too much fun...

 Apparently both boys had too much fun... Kristi and I came back from riding a few water slides and found this. ADORABLE!

 We stopped back at Buffalo Phil's restaurant again this year and look who made an appearance.

For those that don't know Buffalo Phil's---food and drinks comes delivered to your table on trains like this. What two year wouldn't love this? Heck, I am 20 something and still get a thrill out of this.

 Love this next photo (bubbles)---I even included myself in the mirror.

 After dinner and before story time at the tower Harrison and I (and Mr. Bear) enjoyed a sweet treat from the sweet shop.

We also had fun outlet shopping. Harrison cruised around in a car stroller rental that had been abandoned by someone (yeah, saved us $5...nothing wrong with being thrifty, heck we are already at a outlet). I made my co-worker Amy happy and traded in my "mom purse" for a smaller grey/powdery blue Coach purse. Harrison ended up with some adorable green Nike's and of coarse a trip to Baby Gap.

Stay tuned for my favorite photo from the weekend that I will post on my Linked 52 post on Friday. The theme this week is "spirit."

I am also due for a 27 month Harrison update (can't believe in just two months he will already be 2.5 years old), for now I am going to curl up my man and watch, "The Big Year." Talk about the BIG YEAR we are already having...I have to say it again, we love this little boy, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE him!